Some life for a princess hey?
by Dolly-999
Summary: My parents always told me I was a princess, but is this really the way a princess should live? One mistake changed my life forever, and if I had one wish then I'd take that mistake back. Please read and review
1. Welcome to my hell

_**Some life for a princess hey?**_

_Chapter number 1. Welcome to my hell._

This story is set a bit over three years into the future (Slave laws were never put in place in this story).

Martha cleared up the last of the plates from the empty tables on the large room, it was the end of the same routine that her and the rest of the slaves she lived with had to go through every day, another wedding reception, another crowd of people enjoying life the way it was supposed to be. She could of lived like that, but one mistake had changed that, one mistake that she would never forgive herself for. She had just been so scared, so scared of the truth, so she ran, ran away form her home, her friends, her family and her boyfriend, and before she knew it she was lost and poor living on the streets, her foster parents had always told her that she was a princess and should be treated like one, but how was she supposed to be a princess living on the streets. She lived among other homeless people with stories of their own to tell, some had gotten pregnant and kicked out of home others were on the run from ether the police or over protective parents. One story Martha would never forget was the one of a little girl who's mother had died when she was three and her father neglect her, he never did anything for her and left her at home by herself most of the time. Martha wasn't coping well on the streets, she was a though girl, but just living every day of this hard life was a struggle, that's when Sasha took her in on the condition that if she wanted a place to stay and enough food to live she would have to work as a slave in her catering business.

Martha's first day there was a struggle, being the new one among the other slaves ment that people were watching her and wondering what she did to get there, but even she had to admit it was better than living out on the streets, here she had a mattress to sleep on, even though it was in a room crowded with the mattresses of the other women she lived with. The showers were cold with not even a drop of hot water, but it was the first shower she had had since she ran away so she didn't mind the temperature.

"Ok girls we need to get a move on" Sasha instructed loudly "it's eight thirty already and I want you all to get a early night, we've got and very important weeding reception here tomorrow and I don't want everyone to be awake and aware of what they're doing, ok. And that means no stuff ups" she added looking directly at Yasmin who had accidentally spilled champagne on one of the brides maids dresses that day "Is that clear?"

"Yes" most of the room replied in unison.

"Martha I want you on dish wash" Sasha told her when she saw her at the kitchen door with a pile of plates.

"Ok" she answered without complaining.

"So your stuck doing dishes with me" one of Martha's good friends Rose said taking another dirty plate and beginning to wash it.

"Yeap" Martha replied "So why do you think Sasha's so fussed over tomorrow's wedding reception?"

"Don't know, probably just someone with a lot of money who can put anyone out of business if something goes wrong. But I just hope nothing goes wrong, I've never seen Sasha so stressing over a reception to the extent that she tells us to get to bed early".

"I have, I thought you would remember Rose" Emma butted in from the other side of the room, holding a tea towel in her hand. "Remember that time when the daughter of bill gates had her wedding here and one of the others knocked a bowl of chocolate cake onto the Mother of the bride and the icing was allover her skirt".

"Oh yeah, how could I forget that, Sasha was so paranoid after that, she was lucky to still have a business".

"Really, when did that happen?" Martha asked.

"It was just over three years ago, about a month before you got here" Rose told her.

"And trust me, your lucky you weren't here when it happened" Emma added.

"Ok I'll take your word for it then" Martha replied grabbing another plate to wash.

After all the dishes were done it was nine thirty and everyone was getting into bed. "Night Martha" Rose said from the bed beside hers.

"Night rose". When the light had been turned off Martha began to dose off into a deep sleep, she didn't have dreams very often, but tonight she did.

DREAM

Martha first saw Jack standing in front of her, his face looked at her warmly offering comfort "Why did you leave Martha?" Then she saw a flash back of Sasha: "Ok girls we need to get a move on" Sasha instructed loudly "it's eight thirty already and I want you all to get a early night, we've got and very important weeding reception here tomorrow and I don't want everyone to be awake and aware of what they're doing, ok. And that means no stuff ups". Then she saw a wedding bell ringing it's steady strong sound which continued as she saw a million dollar check on a wooden desk.

END OF DREAM

Martha woke up in a shock and sat up panicking. "What was that supposed to mean?" she whispered to herself as she began to catch up on her breath.

Next time:

Why did Martha leave summer bay?

What is her dream supposed to mean?

Pleas tell me what you think.


	2. Confessions of the past

_Chapter number 2. Confessions of the past_

Martha didn't sleep well for the rest of the night, she was to busy trying to figure out what that dream ment. Jack? tomorrow's wedding? An wedding bell? A million dollar check? How did that all fit together? Was Jack getting married? But if it was his wedding then why was it one of Sasha's highest priorities, it's not like Jack was a millionaire, he was just a cop, a really good cop, but being a good cop or not didn't mean much more pay. These thoughts ran through Martha's mind over and over again while she dosed off to sleep again, she didn't have anymore dreams that night.

"Time to get up girls, it's seven thirty and we've got a lot of preparing to do" Sasha announced to the room of girls that were all asleep, and turned the light on.

"Morning" Rose said sitting up and facing Martha.

"Morning" Martha groaned back rolling over.

"Come on you've got to get up" Rose told her standing up and reaching out her hand to help Martha out of bed. Martha happily took her hand and sat up placing her feet on the wooden unpolished floor of the room. "I'm guessing you didn't sleep very well last night?"

"Is it really that obvious?"

"Yeap" Rose replied smiling before they both headed out to the kitchen for breakfast. "So I wonder who's wedding were catering for today" Rose said as they sat down to eat.

"Didn't you two here?" Yasmin asked turning around form talking to one of the other women.

"No" Martha and Rose both said at the same time.

"A millionaire's having his wedding here".

"Wow" Martha commented. "No wonder Sasha's been particularly careful about this one".

"Yeah, I know she's been fussing over every little detail with the decorating since five this morning" Yasmin told them.

Then it all clicked in Martha's head and she remembered the dream she had last night. "Um, did Sasha by any chance say who's wedding it was?" Martha asked curiously.

"Um yeah she did. It was someone i can't remember their first name, um someone Holden". Martha paused for a minute, oh no what if it's Jack, she couldn't handle watching that happen.

"Earth to Martha" Rose said waving her hand in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry what was that?"

"Martha what's wrong?" Rose asked.

"Ah nothing. Anyway did she say who the bride was?"

"Yeah, it was Matilda Hunter" Yasmin answered before turning back to the woman she had been talking to before.

"Martha I know somethings wrong" Rose interrupted her thoughts.

Martha sighed "Look it's a long story".

"Well I like long stories, remember".

"Yeah I remember. Before I ended up on the streets My boyfriend's name was Jack Holden".

"Oh Martha I'm sorry" Rose said very sympathetically.

"No you don't need to be sorry, he's got his life which doesn't involve me any more".

"Do you know Matilda?"

"Yeah all to well" Martha said stairing of into the thin air ahead, her eyes watering with sadness. "She was Jack's little brothers girlfriend".

"Well maybe it's not jack's wedding then".

"I doubt it" Martha answered, not making the answer clear to Rose.

"What do you mean you doubt it?"

Martha took in a deep breath and began to talk again, this time looking at Rose instead of stairing ahead. "Before I ran away, I walked in on Jack and Maddie kissing".

"Oh I'm sorry".

"Don't be, he's the one that should be sorry, and her".

"So was that why you ran away?" Rose asked.

"Partly, there was a bigger reason, one I still don't know the truth about..."

Next time:

What is Martha about to tell Rose about why she ran away?

Is it Jack's wedding or Lucas'?


	3. Switched at birth?

_Chapter number 3. Switched at birth?_

"What is it?" Rose asked warmly and eager to know.

"I got a call from the hospital I was born at and they told me that there was a possibility that I got switched" Martha told her bitting her bottom lip to try and hold back the tears.

"Oh Martha" Rose said sympathetically giving her a friendly hug.

"My grandfather was in jail for something he didn't even do, then I was told that the person who I'd thought was my mum for my whole life wasn't even my real mum. The only person I had left was Jack and a few weeks later he asked me to marry him and when I went over to tell him I said yes, I walked in on him kissing someone else" Martha sobbed unable to hold the tears back any longer. "I thought he loved me".

"Martha of course he loved you, why else would he ask you to marry him".

"But why was he kissing someone else then?"

"I don't know Martha. But I do know that running away from it all wasn't going to answer that question for you".

"I almost stayed" she continued, "But then the hospital called again and told me that they had the results from the DNA test and that they wanted me to come down to the hospital to find out. I so badly wanted to know what was in those results but at the same time I so badly didn't want to know, I mean, this was someone who looked after me my whole life, I didn't know what I was going to do if she wasn't my real mum".

"Rose" Sasha called as she entered the room.

"Yes" Rose called back.

"I need you to come and help me with something downstairs".

"Ok I'll be there in a minute" Rose answered before turning back to face Martha. "I got to go. But I'll find out if it's Jack's wedding ok".

"Ok, thank you" Martha said very greatfully wiping away the last of her tears before anyone else could notice.

"Martha I want you in the kitchen" Sasha told her.

"Ok" she did as he was told and got up to go to the kitchen. Things seemed to go by slowly in the next half an hour while Rose was downstairs helping Sasha with the dinning hall, she just wanted to know, and it wasn't exactly the best time for her patience.

"Hey" Rose's welcoming voice finally said when she entered the room.

"Hey" Martha answered and turned around ready to hear what Rose had found out. "Is it Jack's or Lucas' wedding?"

"Nether" Rose answered.

Martha paused for a moment in shock then realized who it was "Oh my goodness, it's Taylor isn't it?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"That's Jack and Lucas' cousin, but I never thought she'd marry him" Martha told her slightly confused, but extremely releaved.

"Maybe cause he's a millionaire" Rose said pointing out the obvious.

"Well he wasn't three years ago" Martha told her as the phone began to ring and Sasha raced to answer it.

"Hello, Sasha Green speaking" Sasha answered the phone and she began to listen in silence. "Oh I'm so sorry" she said grabbing Martha and Rose's attention. "Yeah of course, we've got room that day. Yeah, hope things get better for all of you. Bye". When Sasha hung up the phone she turned around to look at Martha and Rose who were staring at her waiting for her to tell them what the problem was. "Um girls I need you two to let everyone else know that todays wedding reception has been canceled"

"Ok, but why" Martha asked, slightly re leaved that she wouldn't have to even be faced with the possibility of seeing any familiar faces from Summer bay.

"The groom passed away last night from a heart attack. We'll be catering for the funeral next week on Thursday" she told them.

'Ok so maybe I will have to see all of them, but how am I going to go unnoticed?' Martha thought to herself.

Next time:

Martha does everything she can to make sure no one recognizes her, will she succeed?

Martha continues to question what her dream ment.


	4. One mistake

_Chapter number 4. One mistake._

Martha sat at the end of her bed in the quiet, still, empty room. The rest of the girls were all off were ever they wished to go for the rest of the day, they had nothing to prepare for today so there was no point in Sasha making them stay and do nothing, the only condition of them going out was that they were back by six. Normally on a catering free day Martha would be out there with them too, but she wasn't in the mood for it today, her mind was focusing on her past, the past she would do anything to change, the past she couldn't seem to move on from no matter how hard she tried, it was always something she couldn't forget. She could still remember the last time she saw Jacks face, the last time she saw her home and her family, she missed it all so much, and now there was no way out, she was a slave, and she belonged to Sasha. She just wished that she hadn't run away in the first place, Rose was right, she didn't know what the answerers to her questions were, and running away from the truth hadn't done anything for her, in fact it had made things even worse for her. At least she still had friends like Rose, she would of probably given up living life long ago if she didn't. Life as a slave was tough, not as tough as roughing it on the streets with nowhere to stay or go, but still tough."Why did I have to be so stupid" Martha yelled out, throwing a pillow at the wall on the other side of the room and fell back onto the hard mattress covering her face with the palms of her hands "It was just one mistake, and now I'm nothing".

What seemed like a life time away, Jack was also sitting on the edge of his bed but in stead he was sitting on a soft king sized double water bed in a large well furnished room. His cousin was dead, dead and gone. In the background was the clear sound of Maddie's crying from down the hall way in the big mansion that he shared with Tony, Beth, Lucas, Maddie and once upon a time Taylor. If it wasn't for Taylors suggestion of them all chipping in to that Lottery ticket then they would probably still be living in the same old house that was slowly getting smaller and smaller as new people arrived. Jack sighed and got up, deciding that mopping around was only going to make him more miserable he walked over to the old wooden trunk in the corner of his room that he had been meaning to clean out for ages. He opened it and looked at what was inside, it had been so long since he'd looked in here that he'd forgotten what was inside. On top was some old photo albums, he lifted them out carefully and placed them on the floor next to him. Under neath was a few things, there was the engagement ring he had once planed on giving to Martha, the rubber spider that she had planted in Jacks room to give him a fright and the winning pool ball she gave him when she was trying to make things up to him after he lost his hearing in one ear because of her prank. Jack looked closely at the three items at the bottom of the trunk, he hadn't thought about Martha in so long, no wonder he hadn't looked in here for so long, he had been trying to lock her out of his memory, and now it had all come back and hit him in the face. "I guess I'll never know if she said yes or not" he mumbled to himself, felling even more miserable than before, he would never meet another girl as special in his eyes as her.

"Martha" Rose called out as she entered the room where they all slept. She walked over to where Martha was lying on her side with her back turned to her. "Martha" Rose repeated herself.

Martha didn't say anything she just sat up and turned around to face Rose. "It was just one mistake, why do I have to keep suffering for it?" she sobbed crying into Rose's shoulder "Remember my dream".

"Yeah, how could I forget" Rose said.

"I wish I could forget it, it's been driving me crazy all day. I wish I just knew what it ment".

The rest of the day wasn't any better, sitting through dinner along with all the other girls was hard, she couldn't let them see she was upset, it would be going round for as long as it took to get something new to gossip about.

"How are you feeling?" Rose asked when everyone else had left the table after they were finished eating.

"Yeah, fine" Martha said still acting like nothing was wrong.

"No, Martha, how are you really feeling?"

Martha sighed and gave in, Rose could read her like a book. "I've been better".

"Well why don't you go and have a shower to clear your head then" Rose suggested.

"Are you really sure a cold shower is going to help?"

"Well it's better then no shower"

"Yeah I guess so"

"Martha think positively with me for a minute, instead of thinking about everything you haven't got, think about what you have got" Rose told her.

"Ok" Martha answered starting to think. "Well I've got an amazing best friend" she started.

"Just like I've got an amazing best friend" Rose replied smiling.

"And I've got a roof over my head. I've got food, and a place to sleep. I guess that's something to be thankful for" Martha added. Rose always found a way to cheer her up, she was good at that. "Thanks. I think I might go and have that shower".

"That's alright".

That night as everyone was going to bed Martha was feeling a lot better, that shower had defiantly cleared her head, even though she was shivering the whole time from the temperature. She slept well that night, well actually she only slept well for a little while, she began to have another dream, but this time the dreamed was going to puzzle her more than the last.

DREAM

Martha was standing in a hospital room, in front of her was he mother with a baby in her arms. She had a closer look at the little girl, her name tag on her tiny arm read Martha Maclean daughter of Ruth Stuart and Brett Maclean. But the baby looked nothing like her, the baby had blue eyes, unlike her brown ones and her facial features looked nothing like hers.

END OF DREAM

Martha woke up confused, but soon went back to sleep peacefully.

Next time:

Martha's unknown truth continues to become clear.

Thursday's funeral has finally arrived, will Martha have to face the people from her past?

Can she avoid them? (I know I said that would be in this chapter but it will be in the next).


	5. Jumping to conclusion

_Chapter number 5. Jumping to conclusion_

When morning came Martha woke up to the sun rising letting it's light shine through the window. "Ow someone forgot to shut the curtain again" one of the girls complained still half asleep and the rest of the room slowly began to wake up.

Martha lay her head back down on her pillow and staired at the ceiling for a few seconds to wake up properly, but all she woke up to was the remembrance of her dream. "oh my gosh" Martha accidentally let slip without thinking.

"What?" Rose asked rolling over and looking at Martha who was still stairing at the ceiling. "Martha".

"Hu?" Martha replied sounding lost turning her head to face Rose.

"Martha what's wrong?" Rose said sounding concerned. Martha looked at Rose for a minute then the picture of the baby from Martha's dream entered her thoughts and then disappeared. "Earth to Martha, are you listening to me?"

"Oh yeah, sorry" Martha apologized, Rose had the same blue eyes as the baby in her dream, she knew that didn't mean much but for some reason she seemed to remind her of the baby, not just the colour of her eyes, but everything about her, the more Martha thought about it the more it scared her, Rose looked a lot more like Martha's mother than Martha ever did, she could see so much of her mother in Roses face that it was scary. They both had the same birthdays in the same year which is something they had noticed when they first became friends, but they hadn't thought much more of it then just a coincident.

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Roses voice interrupted.

"Rose there's nothing wrong, I'm fine ok".

"Rubbish Martha I know you better then that".

"Rose I'm fine, I just didn't sleep well thats all, anyway we've got more important things to worry about like todays function" Martha said getting up and and walking towards the door.

Rose just sat were she was before on her bed and sighed shaking her head slightly with a slight smile on her face waiting for the reaction she knew she would get, she knew Martha to well, they were like sisters.

"Ok, you win, so I'm not alright" Martha said turning around and sitting back down on the bed. "But if I tell you your going to think I'm crazy".

"Come on it can't be that unbelievable".

"Trust me it is".

"Ok shot".

"I had another dream last night" Martha started.

"And".

"And..." Martha sighed pausing to think of a way to make this sound not quite so crazy. "I was in they hospital, my mum was there, and she was holding a baby. And the baby's name tag said she was me."

"Hows that so crazy?" Rose asked trying to understand what she was trying to say.

Martha looked straight ahead, her eyes were watery and slightly red. "The baby looked nothing like me. Rose what hospital were you born in?".

"Martha, where's this all coming from?"

"The baby in my dream looked like you Rose".

"Martha it could have been anyone, anyway what makes you so sure that you were really switched?"

"The facts are all there" Martha exclaimed.

"Martha how can you base something like that all on a dream, and yeah so we have the same birthday, but that doesn't mean anything".

"Look Rose you said yourself that you didn't fit in at all with your family". Rose took in a deep breath to help her calm down, this had just made her so frustrated. "Ok I've gone crazy" Martha confirmed berrying her head in her hands.

"You've just been through a lot lately that's all" Rose comforted her giving her a warm smile. "But now were on the subject, shat hospital were you born at?"

"Oh it was just a small one in the town next to were I lived called Yabbie Creek" Martha tole her.

Rose's smile slowly turned to a frown "Oh my gosh".

"What?"

"That's were I was born" Rose explained, shocked.

Martha was speechless for a second but then returned to her stubborn self that held the head high and kept her worries and fears to herself "now we've both gone crazy" Martha said shaking her head and getting up "we've got a busy day, maybe we should get a move along".

Rose sighted breathing in deeply before getting up and following Martha.

The next five days in the lead up to Thursday's funeral seemed to be some of the longest and most boring days in Martha and Rose's lives, they tried to avoid the topic of Martha's dream, they both didn't actually believe that they had been switched, but part of them still had the idea fixed into their minds. The more Rose thought about it the more she started wondering, Martha looked so much like her little sister that it was scary, maybe that's why Rose liked Martha so much.

Martha walked down the stairs to the dinning hall where people were gathered, they'd all just came from the church across the road where the funeral had just been held and the church bells steady beat rang filling the streets with it's strong sound. As Martha reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped and peaked around the corner trying to go unnoticed. She looked around the room so see who was there, there was actually quite a lot of the people from summer Bay that she knew, her grandfather, her mother Ruth, Untie Morag, Colleen, Tony, Beth, Irene, Barry, Kim, Rachael, Lucas, Maddie, Cassie, Ric, Sally, Pippa, Belle, Robbie, Tash, and Jack. "Oh no" she whispered to herself.

"Martha could you please take this tray out to table five" Sasha asked from behind her holding out the tray indicating it wasn't her choice.

"Yeah sure" Martha replied trying to hide the fact that she was terrified of going out there, how was she going to get out of this one?

Next time:

Martha is forced to face her past.


	6. Facing fears

_Chapter number 6. Facing fears._

Martha took the tray from Sasha's hand and turned around towards the dinning hall. She looked over to table five, it was in the same place it always was across the other side of the room in the far corner, there wasn't anyone sitting there which was lucky, but the fact that she would have to go past everyone to get there was the thing that terrified her. 'Maybe they've forgotten me' she thought to herself, but deep down she knew they probably hadn't, she did her best to block that thought from her mind, all she needed to do right now was focus on getting that tray where it needed to o and get out of there as quickly and calmly as she could. As she passed people she tried to avoid making any sort of eye contact, she was releaved when she got to the table and put the tray down, half of this was over, now all she had to do was get back.

"So mate how are you going?" Tony asked as he approached Jack.

"I've been better" Jack answered taking another mouthful of his beer.

"Yeah I think we all have" Tony told him giving him a friendly pat on the back. "I'm just going to see how Maddie's doing, ok".

"Yeah ok" Jack said as his dad walked off. He took another mouthful of the beer that was in one hand and walked over to where Robbie and Tash were talking, on his way his eyes came across the waitress walking across the room, 'Martha?' he thought to himself, her took a closer look and their eyes met for a second before she looked away and hurried out back to the stairs.

"Are you ok?" Rose asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"He saw me" Martha told her bitting her lip nervously.

"Are we talking about Jack?"

"Yes".

"Ok, look Sasha told me to give this tray to you to take out, you go wait in the store room and I'll cover for you".

"Ok, Thank you" Martha said releaved.

"Hey what are friends for? I'll take this tray out for you and then we'll decide what to do next".

"Ok".

"Hey, Jack" Robbie greeted Jack.

"Hey" Jack replied turning his attention from Martha and Rose talking at the bottom of the stairs.

"How are you going?"

"Ok I guess" Jack told him, looking slightly to the left of were Robbie was standing, he could see Martha walking into a room next to the stair case. "Um, look I just need to go find the bathroom, I'll be back soon".

"Ok" Robbie replied as Jack walked in the direction of the store room.

Martha sat herself down on a chair in the corner to calm down, there was so many questions her brain was asking her that seemed to go over and over in her head 'Did he recognize me, what's he going to think if I'm a slave, What am I going to tell Sasha? I can't go out there again'. The door opened. "Rose what a-" Martha started, but stopped when she looked up and saw Jack standing there.

"Martha" Jack said in desperate relief.

"Jack" Martha answered in shock, her eyes were filled with trauma and her heart started racing with fear.

Next time:

Can Martha resist temptation?


	7. We can't

_Chapter number 7. We can't_

"Jack what are you doing here" Martha asked still recovering from the shock.

"I was about to ask you the same question" Jack answered coming closer to her, all he wanted to do was hold her, the way he used to, the way he wanted to for the rest of their lives, but her stopped himself, there was something he had to know before he did that. "Martha why did you leave?"

Martha paused for a moment it was just like in her dream, the same expression on his face, the same surroundings, the same words, it was almost like she could see into the future. "Look Jack I had my reasons, now if you don't mind I've got work to do" she said pushing past him quickly to get to the door before she exploded with tears, but Jack stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"Martha wait".

"What?"

"Martha I love you, anything you saw with me and Maddie wasn't what it looked like".

"Well what was it then?" Martha said in a tone that clearly indicated she didn't believe him.

"I didn't kiss her, she kissed me" Jack explained. Martha just looked at him and shock her head and began to walk away, she knew deep down that he was telling the truth, but she couldn't let him see that, if she did then she would only make things harder. But Jack pulled her closer to him, wrapping one arm around her and stroking her cheek with his other hand. "I promise I never cheated on you and I never will". There faces were only ten centimeters away and gradually moving closer. Martha was about to pull away, but when Jacks lips met hers she gave into her temptation and returned the kiss. A moment of happiness came over both of them, and things felt perfect, the way it was supposed to be for them, the love that they had returned, building up by the second. Martha could feel Jacks hands running up and down her back, her heart melted and her worries faded away, she had missed him so much that she had forgotten how happy and safe he made her feel. But when Martha realized what she was doing she pulled away.

"Jack we can't do this" she told him bitting her lip and stairing at her feet.

"Why not Martha, I love you".

"I love you too, but that doesn't matter anymore".

"Yes it does Martha".

"Things are more complicated then they used to be, I'm a slave, I belong to Sasha. I'm sorry but we just can't" Martha explained looking him in the eye, tears forming in her eyes. "I have to go".

"No, Martha please just stay for a bit longer" Jack pleaded with her desperately, he wasn't going to let her go that easily, he needed her. They were ment to be together, and he knew that.

Martha just shock her head slightly, her tears were running down her cheeks thickly, and her eyes were filled with pain "I have to go".

Next time:

What do you do when you can't be with the one you love?

Can Martha and Jack let go of there feelings?


	8. No control, it's just the way it is

_Chapter number 8. No control, it's just the way it is._

Martha turned to face the door breaking out of Jack strong muscular arms that had been wrapped around her "Jack" Martha started turning back to face him.

"Yeah" Jack said fairly softly, his voice was full of sadness and his eyes were just as miserable.

"Please don't tell anyone I was here".

"Why not Martha, they can help you".

"No they can't, like I said before I belong to Sasha now. Just please don't tell them, I don't want them to worry about something they can't fix, ok".

"Ok, if that's what you really want".

"Thank you".

"but only if you promise me one thing".

"What's that?"

"If you ever leave here, don't run anymore, come home".

Martha just looked at him for a minute, 'home' the word rang through her head, if she went home all she'd have to do is face the truth she ran away from in the first place, it was going to hit here sooner or later, but she would rather not face it at all. But if she went home she wouldn't have to face it alone, she'd have Jack with her, the only reason she couldn't face the truth last time was because she didn't want to face it alone. "Jack, I can't leave, not even if I want to".

"Yeah I know, you told me. But if for some reason you do leave..."

"Ok, I'll come home then, but don't count on that happening" Martha agreed.

"Look I'd better get back out there ok" Jack told her trying to get away before he gave into his desire to hold her again.

"Ok" Martha answered holding back what tears she still had left until Jack had closed the door. A minute later Rose came in to find Martha in tears on the floor.

"Martha what happened?"

"I am such an idiot" Martha sobbed.

"No your not, and don't ever let me hear you say that again. Come on lets get you back upstairs and we'll see if you can do something in the kitchen so you won't have to come back down here".

"Ok" Martha sobbed, pulling herself back together before they made there way out the door and up the stairs.

The next few hours were a blur to both Martha and Jack, they both had each other on their minds. 'Why can't I just be with her. I love her, and she said she loves me, so why can't we just be happy?' the thoughts passed through his mind, running around faster and faster getting more frustrated and intense by the minute, he had no control over what he wanted, and he couldn't let go, not after seeing her again, not even though there was no way it could happen.

"Mate, you coming?" Tony asked putting a supportive hand on Jacks shoulder. The room around them was empty aside from the one or two servants that were packing up.

"Um, in a minute, don't wait for me, I'll catch up back home later, ok".

"Ok" Tony answered leaving through the front door.

Jack sighed and began to walk to the other side of the room and down the hall way to Sasha's office, knocking on the door impatiently.

"Yes can I help you?" Sasha asked opening the door, but before Jack could say anything she interrupted him, "look it's to late to be booking again, you need to come back tomorrow or make a phone call".

"No it's not about-"

"Well what is it then?"

"Um, it's about one of your workers".

"Oh, well there's a complaint box down the hall".

"No it's not a complaint, well it is but-"

"Like i said the complaint box is down the hall, you don't need to explain it to me" Sasha said quickly closing the door shut in front of Jack's face.

"I've really lost her for good this time haven't I" he whispered to himself.

Next time:

He can't be with the one he loves, so how will Jack deal when he's got no control?

Will Jack and Martha ever be reunited?


	9. Sold?

_Chapter number 9. Sold?_

When Jack arrived home that evening the house was fairly quiet. He walked passed his dad and Beth in the lounge room, saying hello quickly before he went to his room. He closed the door and leaning his back against it, sliding down the length of the wooden door until he hit the floor and berried his head in the palms of his hands.

"Martha, it'll be ok" Rose said warmly placing a supportive hand on Martha's back from behind where she was sitting at the end of her bed.

"That's easy to say" Martha answered softly, tears were in her eyes and running fast down her cheeks "I'd been way form him so long that I forgot how much i needed him" she continued "Now I just wish I'd suck around for a bit longer, if I did then maybe Jack would have had a chance to tell me the truth before I got myself into all this mess".

"Martha, you can't blame yourself for that".

"Yes I can, I was the one who left" she exclaimed.

"Yeah I know, I ment your not the one to blame for not wanting to stick around any longer. It was all just a misunderstanding that got out of hand".

"Yeah, I guess so, but that doesn't make anything change".

"Yeah I know, I know Martha. But were going to get through this together, ok".

"Rose I don't want to be a burden on you".

"Your not, your like my sister, and I want to help you".

"Oh ok then, thank you".

The next morning Jack was up early, dressed and ready to go before anyone else had even considered getting ready. "What's the rush for?" Lucas asked stretching his arms in the air and yawning.

"Nothing, just got a busy day planed thats all".

"Jack I thought it was your day off, that means you actually stop working" Lucas told him.

"Theres no rule saying I can't do more than lase around the house on my day off" Jack informed him.

"Yeah, I guess so"

"Well, I'm off then" Jack said grabbing his coat and opening the door.

"Ok, see you later".

"Martha can I see you in my office for a minute please" Sasha called out across the room.

"Yeah sure" Martha answered following her in the direction of her office.

"Please sit down" she said pointing in the direction of a chair against the wall. "Now Martha I'm sure your aware that we've been in a bit of debt in the last few months".

"Yeah".

"Well you see I've had to come to some drastic measures to keep this place running-" she started but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who is it?"

"It's just me Miss Green" a man said opening the door, Martha studied him for a minute, he was wearing a smart black business suit with a red tie and he didn't look like a genuinely kind person.

"Oh, just in time please come in and take a seat".

"What's going on?" Martha asked sounding worried.

"I'm guessing this is the girl?" the man asked.

"Yes, she shouldn't give you any problems, she's a fine worker" Sasha informed him.

"Yes I'm sure she is. Anyway, I have your money" he said putting a million dollar check on the desk.

'Oh my goodness' Martha thought, it was the final piece of her dream that hadn't happened yet. "Your selling me?" Martha exclaimed realizing what was going on.

Next time:

Who bought Martha?

Where will she be taken?

Will she be able to keep the promise she made to Jack?


	10. Let me go!

_Chapter number 10. Let me go!_

"I'm sorry Martha but I had no choice, you know how much debt this place has been in in the last few months" Sasha exclaimed as the man grabbed Martha and began to drag her through the door..

"Martha!" Rose screamed as she reached the bottom of the stairs carrying a tray full of empty glasses that were to go out onto the tables.

"Rose" Martha screamed back down the hall way as the man continued to drag her away from the office.

"Whats going on?" Rose asked dropping the tray on a table near by and running down to where Martha was.

"Their selling me!"

"What!" Rose gasped. "But how?"

"Rose get back to work please" Sasha said giving her a serious look from where she was standing in the door way.

"But-"

"Now!" Sasha yelled becoming furious, pointing towards the dining hall.

Rose, feeling completely helpless could only do as she was told and watch as Martha was dragged out of the building.

Jack was in his car driving towards Sasha's dinning hall he parked his car and got out, smiling to himself, he had a plan, a good one too, he was going to bye Martha, little did he know someone else had already beaten him too it. "Let me go" the sound of Martha's voice interrupted his thoughts and he spun around instantly to see what was going on. "Let me go" she repeated, as the man pulled her towards a black car.

"Martha" Jack exclaimed, running to her rescue "What's happening?"

"Jack, their selling me" she explained quickly, the fear was clear in the tone of her voice and her face gave her feelings away more than anything. Jack tried to grab her, only managing to hold onto her arm that was waving around in her desperate bid to escape the mans strength, feeling his arm holing onto hers she tried even harder to get away, but the man in the business suit won in the end and Martha and jacks arms that had been holding onto each other in a sort of a monkey grip slowly slid apart until even their fingertips were out of reach. The door closed and the black car raced off, following his heart Jack got into his car and began to speed off after them.

"Come on Jack you can't let her go" Jack said out loud to himself keeping his eyes fixed on the road and going as fast as he could without hitting anything. This continued for the next five minutes until the two lanes formed into one and a car pulled in front of Jack right before the traffic lights that turned red right after the black car with Martha in it turned the corner leaving Jack stuck in the traffic.

"Were are you taking me" Martha demanded turning her head back around from the back window where she had been watching jack following until her had gotten left behind.

"You'll see when we get there" he told her angrily, "and in future missy you'll do what you are told when you are told, and don't even think about using another one of you cheeky tones, I'm warning you now, the boss isn't quite as forgiving as I am".

Next Time:

Martha is given the biggest shock of her life when she finds out who the new boss is, she knows him, so who is it?


	11. Your new boss

_Chapter number 11. Your new boss._

"What ever" Martha answered back at the man in his business suit.

"Well when you end up in the bosses bad books don't come running to me saying I didn't warn you. And if I were you I'd lose the attitude too, the only person who's allowed to get away with having an attitude problem in the house is the boss, and the boss only".

Martha just sighed and slouched back in her seat, maybe Sasha's place wasn't so bad, at least there was a little bit of harmony and sense of family there, but by the sounds of the new place she could already tell it would be very tough and strict were if you were told to do it you do it, no excuses accepted.

"So what was with that guy trying to grab you before?"

"It's none of your business" Martha told him stubbornly.

"Hey, I was just asking".

"Well don't ask then!"

"Look this is the last time I'm going to warn you, get rid of the attitude".

"I wasn't giving you any attitude" Martha replied lying.

"Well you have much to learn then, from now on you do as your told, like I said before my patience is a lot more flexible than the boss' is, he'll get rid of you in a flash if you give him any problems".

"Get rid of me?" Martha questions changing her tone imediently. "What do you mean?"

"Well really depends, sometimes he sends you to the market to be sold, other times he might just lock you away for a few days". Hearing this Martha's heart sank and she began feel fear running through her system, 'this can't be happening to me' she thought, 'ok Martha you can wake up now' she continued hoping this was just a bad dream and that she'd wake up back in her bed in the room she shared with all the other girls at Sasha's dinning hall, but it wasn't a dream, it was real.

Jack pulled his car to the side of the road, he'd gone down the street he saw the black car turn down and turned into every street that came off it, but he still couldn't find them. "This really isn't my day is it" Jack said to himself banging his head back on the head rest of the seat letting out a great sigh of stress.

"Well you seem to have gone quiet missy" the driver of the black car said. "Maybe the boss won't go so hard on you".

"Look you keep calling him the boss, but who is the boss?" Martha asked sounding frustrated.

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that he is always to be addressed as boss or sir".

"Please, I just want to know who I'm working for" Martha pleaded with him.

"Ok, just between you and me, his names Brett Macklin" the driver informed her as they arrived outside the large mansion not far away from the busy city streets of Sydney.

"Brett Macklin" Martha repeated, the shock that just went thought her was clearly visible on her face.

"Are you alright, you look like you just saw a ghost" the driver commented.

"No I'm fine" Martha replied pulling herself together before hopping out of the car to once again take on the burden of being a slave.

Back at Sasha's dining hall everyone was packing up form the long days work. "So how are you holding up?" Yasmin asked Rose placing a supportive hand on her back from behind.

"Ok I guess" she answered putting her tea towel down at the edge of the bench, but didn't realise it had fallen down behind the old stove that was nest to the bench.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll manage, I just need a good nights sleep".

"Yeah I think we all do" Yasmin added before turning off the light as the closed the door and went of to bed, but as soon as they did the tea towel that had fallen behind the stove caught alight on a faulty wire slowly setting light to the whole back of the stove and the wall.

Next time:

Martha is takes on the burden of working for her father, how will that one go down?

Fire breaks out at Sasha's dining hall in the middle of the night, will they be alright?


	12. Martha who?

_Chapter number 12. Martha who?_

"Ok I'll show you around quickly and then we'll let you get some sleep" the man explained as they came through the door. "I'm Daniel by the way".

"Ok. So how big is this house?" Martha asked amazed at the size of it, it was huge, well she always thought her dad's house would be big, but she never even thought this big.

"I lost track of the size last time they added another floor" Daniel exclaimed. "So, we'll start over here".

Martha's tour of the house lasted about an hour or two, and by the end of it she was so tied she just wanted to curl up where she was and go to sleep. "This is where you'll be staying with the other three maids" Daniel told her as they walked into a room downstairs. It was actually quite a nice room, it had carpet, unlike the unpolished wooden splintering wooden floors where she used to stay, there were actual beds, not just mattresses. 'Maybe I could get used to this' Martha thought to herself. "Well I'll leave you to get some rest then" Daniel said leaving the room.

"Thanks".

"No problem. Oh an I almost forgot to tell you, up at six".

"Ok" Martha replied before falling onto the bed into the quilt.

In Brett's office he was just finishing up ready to go to bed when Daniel knocked on the door. "Yes, what is it?" Brett asked.

"Um, sir I've got the paper work form Miss Green on the new maid".

"Ok, just put them on my desk and I'll look at them in the morning. You better of chosen a good worker this time, I don't want to yet again have to sell just after I bought".

"Well Miss Green did think very highly of her".

"Oh really, it makes you wonder why she sold her then. Anyway, who have you chosen this time?"

"Martha Mckenzie sir" Daniel replied.

Brett's attention was quickly brought to him in a shock, "Martha who?"

"Mckenzie".

"Bring her to me" Brett ordered loudly.

"Are you ok sir?"

"Just bring her to me!" he repeated shouting as he stood up.

"As you wish sir" Daniel answered leaving the room in humble obedience to fetch Martha.

"Rose wake up!" Yasmin screamed from about a meter away, the room around them was full of smoke so thick that anything more than a few meters away was not visible, tow of the walls across the room was completely on fire and slowly taking over the roof. "Come on we have to get out, It's going to collapse".

Rose quickly got up coughing as she let Yasmin help her to her feet. "Ahh watch out" she squealed jumping as a pillar that was completely alight fell next to them.

Yasmin unable to take the level of smoke any longer fell to the floor "Go without me" she managed to get out.

Next time:

Martha faces Brett, will he take pitty on her or whack her into line?

Still to come:

Lives are at risk, who will make it and who won't?


	13. I can't loose you too

_Chapter number 13. I can't loose you too._

There was a smash of glass from the window on one of the walls that wasn't yet on fire and a few of the other girls raced to get out through it. "Come on nows our chance".

"No I can't Rose, save yourself while you can".

"No your coming with me".

"I can't I'll never be able to get through there if I can't get up".

"Come on Yas I'll help you get up, I'm not leaving you here, I've already lost Martha, I can't loose you too".

"Ok, but how are we going to get down, it's three stories".

"We'll find a way, we have to at least try".

Back at Brett's office Brett was starting to get impatient. "Oh, hurry up" he said out loud to himself and then a minuter later Daniel appeared back in the room, sticking his head slightly through the door.

"Sir, I've brought her, do you want to see her?"

"Yes, bring her in, and go and get this paper work sent" he answered, tapping his hand on the pile of recently finished papers on the corner of his desk.

"Ok" Daniel answered stepping forward to get the papers and then before leaving signaled for Martha to come in and closed the door when she entered.

"You wanted to see me sir?" Martha said in a low voice keeping her head to the floor, trying not to be recognized even though she knew he would.

"Yes, Martha sit down" he told her pointing to a seat in front of his desk. "Oh and no need to call me sir, thats only for people who work for me, not family, and definitely not my own daughter". Martha took her eyes away from her hands and looked up at him, smiling. "So what mess have you gotten yourself into now?" he asked in a fatherly manner.

"Long story" Martha started.

"Well I've got plenty of time, I'm all ears".

Martha smiled again and started form the beginning, back before she ran away, this was the first time she'd ever actually had a conversation with her dad, and the first time he'd actually wanted anything to do with her, it was different, but she wasn't complaining, the only thing she was complaining about to herself was that the first time for all this was also when she was going to have to tell him, in her story of how she got here that she might not even really be his daughter...

Next time:

What will Brett's reaction be when he finds out Martha might not even be his daughter?

Still to come in later chapters:

Who survived the fire?

Will Jack and Martha ever be reunited? Or will new lifestyles get in the way?


	14. Retelling the past

_Chapter number 14. Retelling the past._

"It all started just over three years ago" Martha started. "Granddad had been put in jail only a few months before and ever thing around town seemed to ether be bad or about to get bad, there was project 56 which absolutely everyone seemed to be off there heads about and then I got a phone call from the hospital" she paused for a minute, now there was no way of avoiding the fact that she might not even be his daughter.

"A phone call about what?" Brett asked to encourage her to keep going, he was filled with suspense and it was clearly marked all over his face.

"They told me that..." she paused again, tears were forming in her eyes at the remembrance of her past. "That, there was a possibility that I was switched at birth".

Brett's face changed from the look of suspense quickly to a look of shock. "But , but , how? I mean... Oh my gosh. Did it ever get confirmed?"

"No, I almost got the results, but I couldn't" Martha sobbed "I couldn't face the possibility of thinking that the people I thought were my family weren't" she explained, not even mentioning Jack, she didn't need her father worrying about her love life right now.

"Hey, sh, sh, sh" Brett comforted her moving around the desk to sit next to her. "Is that how you ended up here?"

"Yeah, after I got the phone call to come and get the results I ran away, and before i knew it I was lost, with no where to go".

"And then Sasha took you in" Brett finished her sentence.

"Yeah how did you know?"

"I've heard a lot about the way she runs that place, if you ask me it's a disgrace. She shouldn't be turning people off the streets into slaves, it's just a way of saving money so she doesn't have to buy them".

"Yeah I guess so" Martha answered.

"You could probably do with some rest princess".

"Yeah, I'm so tired".

"Ok come on I'll go open up one of the spare rooms for you".

"Whats wrong with the room I've got?"

"Thats the maids room sweaty, I'll get you a better one, you'll be more comfortable there".

"Ok then" Martha said before getting up and following Brett out of the room.

Jack drove around the streets of Sydney, he knew where he was, he just didn't know where he was going, he'd lost track of Martha just over six hours ago now and it had gotten dark a while ago. "Am I ever going to find you again Martha?" he said softly to the empty car, "I'm not giving up on you" he added before turning around and heading home to get some rest, not that he'd be able to, but he knew driving aimlessly around the streets wasn't going to help.

Next time:

Jacks search for Martha continues.

Martha settles into her new life with her dad.

Still to come in later chapters:

Who survived the fire?


	15. Your guardian angel would be shocked

_Chapter number 15. Your Guardian angel would be shocked._

"Ok, this is your room" Brett told Martha as he opened up the fancy white double doors with gold handles.

"Oh my goodness, this is like as big as the room all twenty six of the maids at Sasha's dinning hall shared" Martha exclaimed, her mouth wide open still trying to get over the size of it.

"Well lucky you then cause you've got it all to yourself".

"Thank you" Martha said.

"It's my pleasure. Look Martha I know I wasn't much of a father to you when you were growing up, but I promise thats going to change form now on".

"Really?"

"Really, now you should probably get some rest, I'll see you in the morning".

"Ok, good night".

"Oh and before I forget, I'll send one of the maids up to put some cloths in the wardrobe for you in the morning".

"Ok thanks" she replied before going into the large room and closing the door. She looked around the room, still in shock that this was actually happening to her, she walked slowly as she studied the room, it had white carpet and white walls, a double king princess bed, and on sweat through a door in the corner and near the window seat was some lounges with a coffee table in front. "I could get used to this" she said to herself as she flopped onto the bed, she'd forgotten what a real bed felt like and in no time she fell asleep.

The next morning Martha woke to the sound of birds chirping out side, she sat up and looked over at the alarm clock beside her bed and it said 10:05. "Wow, I haven't slept in that long in ages" she sat happily to herself before flopping her self back into the fluffy pillows and soft blankets.

About ten minutes later there was a knock at the door, "come in" Martha called out and the two white doors opened.

"I won't be a minute, I just have to put these clothes in the wardrobe" the maid explained holding about five or six coat hangers with clothes on them.

"Oh don't worry I'll do that" Martha said getting up.

"No, no, no, you rest, while I put these away and run you a hot bath. Oh and I almost forgot to tell you your father's taking you shopping this afternoon after he finishes with some irritating clients that wouldn't leave him alone until he fixed something for them" she told her before putting the cloths neatly in the wardrobe and going into the on sweat to run a bath.

Martha just stood in shock and sighed, sitting back down on the bed, she wasn't used to having people doing things for her, the last three years had been spent doing nothing but doing everything for everyone else who placed themselves higher than her just cause she was a slave, but now she wasn't, but in some ways she still felt like she was, there was something that just wasn't right, but she couldn't remember or guess what. If she had a guardian angel watching over her then that angel would have been screaming at her, she'd completely forgotten about the love of her life Jack, he'd been wiped form her memory the moment her father had shown a slight interest in her life, almost like subconsciously she'd figured her dad would of disapproved, so she'd just forgotten about him, berrying any last memory of him deep down at the bottom of all those loose files of information in her head and just lost it completely.

But for Jack his mind had done the complete opposite, last night, instead of getting the much needed sleep he needed, he'd brought up every memory of Martha, even the small insignificant things, like the times when they laughed just cause they were both happy, and the times when shed just had a bad day and he would do his best to try and put a smile on her face.

Brett sat in his office, he'd just gotten rid of those annoying clients, finally, it was about time they left. But now there was just one more thing he had to do that had been playing on his mind, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Yeah Mate it's Brett, look I've got a job for you. I need your help to track down some old DNA tests from the Yabbie Creek hospital that were taken just over three years ago...

Next time:

Martha's DNA is revealed, but there's a shock twist to it all, what is it?

Still to come in later chapters:

Who survived the fire?

Jack and Martha, will they ever be together?


	16. The night you were born

_Chapter number 16. The night you were born._

"You ready to go sweaty?" Brett asked as he saw his daughter walked out from her room wearing one of the dresses he'd given the maid to put in Martha's wardrobe. It was long and black, flowing from the waist down and well fitted above.

"Yeah, I'm ready" Martha answered shutting the double door behind her.

"Ok, Lets get a move on then" Brett added before his phone started ringing. "Blasted thing" Brett exclaimed before pulling it out of his pocket and answering it. "Hello" he started.

"Hi Brett it's me" a low voice said.

"So how did you go?" Brett asked.

"Good, I managed to track down those DNA tests, but I can't get them to you without a nurse reading them out".

"Thats fine, it's not like I'm trying to find someone else's DNA or anything. When do we get them?"

"Well if you could get down to the hospital now then we can give them to you straight away".

"Ok, we'll be there soon. Bye".

"Ok, bye".

"Change of plans?" Martha asked from a few meters behind.

"Yeah slightly, were going to have to go down to the hospital".

"The hospital! What's the matter?"

"Look I'll explain on the way, but we need to get a move on princess".

"Ok".

"Come on Jack pull yourself together" Jack said to himself, he was sitting in the drivers seat of the car beside the road and just around the corner was Sasha's dining hall, well what used to be Sasha's dining hall, but Jack didn't know that just yet. "Come on Jack you can do this" he encouraged himself "All you have to do is go in there and find out who Martha got sold to and where they live". Felling more confident Jack turned the key in the ignition and started the car, driving round the ninety degree corner in the road. He looked to his left where the building usually stood, but instead of seeing a building all he saw was black charcoaled rubble, around the ruble was fire men searching the ruble for any sign of how the fire started, not that the evidence would have been left, it was so burned that anything that wasn't originally black now was, anyone who had managed to survive would have been extremely lucky to live. "Well at least Martha wasn't there, she would probably be dead if she wasn't sold" Jack sighed, he had to try and stay positive at the moment, if he wanted to keep himself sane that was.

"Dad" Martha started after he explained that he'd tracked down the DNA results.

"Yes sweaty".

"What if I'm not your daughter?"

"Martha whether or not that stupid test says I'm you father or not doesn't change anything".

Martha smiled, he really had changed for good. "Really?"

"Really, I promise".

"Mr Macklin, were here" the driver of the car announced as the car stopped.

"You ready for this?" Brett asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, I just don't know why I tried to run away from it all in the first place, I could of known already".

"Hey, your here now, and thats all that matters, besides if you didn't run away then I probably wouldn't of been able to be a real father to you".

"Yeah, if hasn't turned out that bad".

"Not, bad at all" Brett added.

"Miss McKenzie, Mr Macklin, please sit down". The nurse said as they reached the door. "Now Martha I have the DNA results right here, so when your ready well start".

"I'm ready" Martha replied imediently.

"Ok, the night you were born, as you are already aware, the hospital was in a huge hurry in the delivery department".

"Yeah" Martha nodded.

"But what your not aware of is..." The nurse paused.

"Is what?" Martha asked, wanting her to go on.

The nurse sighed, "It's a lot worse than you think. The night you were born we were so busy that there was a three way swap".

"What do mean" Martha exclaimed in shock.

"I mean that when we went to put the name tags on you and tow other girls that were born on the same day as you, we got all three of those tags on the wrong baby"...

Next time:

Who did Martha get swapped with?

Who is Martha's real family?

Who survived the fire?

Still to come:

Will Jack and Martha ever be together?


	17. I was switched with my best friend

_Chapter number 17. I was switched with my best friend!_

"So who am I really, and who the hell is Martha McKenzie?" Martha asked still in shock.

"Look I'm going to get to that. Please be patient with me".

"Sorry".

"No it's ok, I understand that you just want to know whats going on. Ok now, your real parents are..." the nurse paused as she scrolled her way down the paper and Martha sat in complete suspense. "Jack and Beth Hunter".

"Oh my goodness" Martha exclaimed in even more shock.

"Do you know them?" Brett asked, it had been the first time he'd spoken since they entered the room.

"Yeah I do, well I know Beth anyway, Jack died before i came to Summer bay, but the only thing I don't get is how I could have been switched with one of their kids, I mean none of them are the same age as me".

"Stephanie Hunter was only alive for a few days, she was born without a brain".

"Oh my gosh, that would be hard, no wonder she hasn't mentioned it" Martha exclaimed.

"So who's the other one that got switched, and which one had my DNA?" Brett asked rejoining the conversation".

"The other one is the one that has your DNA, her name is Rose DeGarmo".

"Your kidding me" Martha interrupted, shaking her head with shock. In her head she could see the dream repaying in her head, her mum, the baby that looked like Rose haunted her for a minute.

"Princess, are you ok?" Brett asked putting a supportive hand on Martha's shoulder.

"Yeah, can we just go home dad".

"Sure, but are you really ok?".

"Yes... No, but what do you expect, I was switched with my best friend!"

"Rose?"

"Yeah, she was almost like a sister to me back at Sasha's".

"She got herself into that womans business too?" Brett asked in surprise.

"Yes" Martha replied.

"Well come on were going to go and get her out of it then".

Martha smiled, "So she'll be like my sister thats not really my sister?" Martha asked. "Wait that doesn't make any sense".

Brett just laughed, "No it doesn't, but I know what you mean sweaty. Anyway lets get a move on, I'll go get the check book from home and then we can go round to Sasha's, how does that sound?" Brett asked.

"Sounds perfect".

Half an hour later Martha and Brett arrived in front of Sasha's dining hall to find the same rubble Jack had found earlier. "Oh my goodness, this can't be happening" Martha exclaimed.

"What the heck happened?" Brett asked one of the fire fighters as he walked up to where the building once stood.

"There was a fire break out last night, burnt the whole place down" the fire fighter answered.

"Did anyone survive?"

"Yeah" he started, "about half of them escaped just in time before the whole place collapsed".

"Do you know who?"

"No they didn't leave any names, but they've taken all the survivers down to the fire station down the road".

"Ok, thanks for all your help" Brett told him very graciously.

"Your welcome".

Brett walked quickly back to the car an hopped in, "their at the fire station".

"Oh good so their alive?" Martha asked in relief.

"Um, they didn't really say, they just said that any survivers were at the fire station".

"I hope she's ok" Martha said softly.

"Yeah me too" Brett replied.

"Come on Rose, don't let me down" Martha said out loud to herself as they entered the fire station, she began to look around, searching for her, "Come on Rose, please be here". She recognized a lot of faces, there was Jemma and Felicity, talking as usual, "It obviously didn't take a life and death situation to get them to shut up" Martha commented. Further along was Kelly along with Rebbecca, Dani-elle, Helen, Tabitha and Yasmin, still no sign of Rose though.

"Have you seen her yet?" Brett asked.

"Not yet" Martha answered. "I really hope she's alright".

Next time:

Has Rose survived?

Jack said he's not giving up, but could a mystery woman change all that?

Still to come:

Martha and Jack, will they be together?


	18. She's dead!

_Chapter number 18. she's dead!_

"Yas" Martha called out across the room.

Yasmin quickly turned around. "Martha!" she exclaimed with excitement, "Oh my gosh I never thought I'd be so happy to see you" she said running up to her and giving her a hug.

"Nether did I, I had the biggest panic attack when we went to Sasha's and saw the state it's in at the moment, is Rose here too?"

Yasmin shook her head, and her smile disappeared, "She didn't get out in time".

Martha paused, her heart sank, before she had pictures of her and Rose as sisters, having fun without slavery, but now that had just been completely torn apart. "Oh my gosh" Martha finally said her eyes watering, becoming more and more flooded by the minute.

"She could of made it if she did as I said and just left me there" Yas started, tears were beginning to well up in her eyes as well "but she wouldn't take no for an answer and made sure I got out, then she went back to get Hannah but it was to late. It's all my fault".

"No it's not Yas" Martha comforted her, "if it wasn't you she went out of her way to help it would have been someone else, you know what she's like".

"Yeah, good old Rose, wouldn't even let an ant suffer" Yas said starting to fell a little less guilty.

"So which way do you think we should go next?" Jack asked as he stopped the car at the traffic lights, turning his head to look at the girl sitting in the drivers seat.

Next time:

who's the girl?

What will Martha do next?

Has she really forgotten about Jack?


	19. The perfect guy, but theres a catch

_Chapter number 19. The perfect guy, but theres a catch._

"I don't know, this cities too big to know where anything is" Rose answered, "I don't even know the way back to Sasha's".

Jack sighed, "well Martha has to be somewhere".

"Yeah, but the question is where?" she answered looking back at him, he was so nice, his eyes sparkled with kindness and he had a smile that could make anyone go weak at the knee, she could see why Martha fell for him, but the fact that he used to be with her best friend was the only thing that was stopping her from thinking of him as any more than a friend. "Oh and thanks for saving me, I don't know what I would of done of you hadn't shown up and taken me away from that place".

"Hey don't thank me, you did all the hard work of getting away from the fire".

"Yeah but I was in the middle of nowhere and when I came back from going to get help everyone was gone, and I don't know where they went".

"Well, think of it this way, now you don't have to worry about being sold off to someone".

"Yeah I guess so" she answered sighing and resting her head back on the head rest of the car seat. "But at least when I was a slave I had somewhere to stay".

"Well if all else fails I'll find you a spare room at my place until you get yourself on your feet again if it helps".

"You sure?" Rose asked, she wasn't used to people doing things for her, it made her fell like a burden, but she did have to admit it was kind of nice of him.

"Yes I'm sure, any friend of Martha's is a friend of mine" Jack told her, smiling that famous Jack Holden smile.

"Thank you, I really don't know what I'd do without you" Rose said, but them regretted putting it that way. 'Oh no, me and my big mouth' Rose said to herself.

"I don't know what I'd do without you ether, I was never going to be able to find Martha on my own" he replied, without even thinking he stretched out his arm and placed it around her shoulders.

"I just hope we find her" Rose said softly.

Jack was about to say, 'so do I' but without thinking again, he looked deep into Rose's eyes and got carried away in the moment, leaning in for a kiss. Rose didn't hesitate, she returned the kiss, tender and sweet.

Back at the fire station Martha said good bye to Yasmin and headed back outside where her dad was waiting for her. "Did you find her?" Brett asked looking up quickly when he heard her coming.

"No" Martha answered, still with tears.

Brett didn't say anything, he just nodded in disappointment. "Well lets get going, I think we've had enough drama for one day".

"Yeah, I think your right" Martha replied heading off to where the car was parked.

"Martha it's going to be alright, you know that don't you?"

"Yeah" she said turning around to face him. "So what are we going to do now that Rose is dead?"

"Well it still doesn't change the fact that your my daughter, but if you want to meet up with you real mum then I don't want you to think I'm stopping you".

"Ok, But maybe we should just give it time before I meet her".

"Of course".

"Mr Macklin" the driver of the car interrupted.

"Yes" Brett answered.

"I just got a call from Mr Osbourne, he wanted to know if you and Martha are coming to his daughters coming up party?"

"Oh of course, tell him I'll get back to him later" Brett said getting into the car and Martha got in too. "Speaking of coming up parties, we should probably get one organized for you Martha, if you want one that is?"

"Yeah sounds like fun" Martha said sounding a little more cheerful.

Next time:

What will happen with Rose and Jack?

Still to come:

Will Martha ever see Rose or Jack again?


	20. Who do I love?

_Chapter number 20. Who do I love?_

After what seemed like ages of having Rose in his arms, kissing her, Jack realizing what he'd just done, pulled away from her. He had this sudden rush of regret run through his body and a strong message from his conscious that clearly told him he'd just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

He felt like he was cheating on Martha, where ever she was, not that they were really together, but it was almost like they were in some ways, he loved her more then anything in the whole entire world, and nothing could change that, they were ment to be together, and now he'd gone off and kissed someone else, and even worse, of all the people in the world he could of kissed, he'd kissed Martha's best friend. He felt terrible, in his head he could see the reaction Martha gave when she walked in on Maddie trying to stick her tongue down his thought, her face that was full of heartbreak and the way she ran off faster than he could say 'it's not what it looks like' was haunting him, it was playing over and over again in his head, getting faster and faster until his head felt like it was beginning to spin.

He was so confused, 'how could I be so stupid?' Jack's conscious started asking 'why did I have to get myself into this mess?'

Rose on the other side of the car was just as stupid, she'd already, in the few seconds that had passed since Jack had pulled away, realized what she'd just done. She sat up straight in the car seat, her head tip backwards, hitting the head rest and she opened her mouth slightly, letting out a sight of regret. She'd given into her best friends ex, and there was no way of going back and changing that now. She'd just been to caught up in the moment, and not enough caught up in the fact that she was kissing the man she knew deep down that Martha still loved, and he loved her too.

The car was silent, so silent that you could hear the sound of cars passing by and around the ninety degree corner of the road, and the occasional sound of birds chirping. Rose couldn't take it anymore, she had to say something, 'but why can't he say something?' she asked herself, 'why should I say something first? After all he was the one who kissed me first. Arrr, come on Rose just say something! No more excuses' she told herself.

"Jack" she started, forcing his name out.

"Yeah" Jack answered, snapping out of his daydreaming. He was still so confused, if he loved Martha then why had he done that, in fact he was actually starting to ask him self if he actually still did love Martha, they'd been apart for so long that it was almost like finding her again wasn't something he genuanlly wanted to do, but something that had been fixed into his brain so hard that he didn't even stop to think whether he wanted her or not. His love for Martha had literally been changed in a matter of a split second before Rose spoke again.

"Look Jack I'm sorry, this was a really big mistake" she finaly brought herself to say, and she was glad she had.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry" Jack started, trying to hide his disappointment, he wasn't about to admit the fact that he might not in fact be sorry at all, but until he was sure, he knew he had to keep that to himself."It was my fault, if I hadn't of kissed you then none of this would of happened".

"It's not all you fault" Rose told him. "Some best friend I am" she muttered under her breath sarcastically.

"Hey, don't say that" Jack started when he heard what she had said. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even best friends".

"Not am many as I have".

"What do you mean?" he asked looking puzzled.

"Ever since I was fifteen my life has just been one mistake after the other, as soon as I get myself out of one big mess, I do something stupid again and get into another mess" Rose told him, he eyes started to water, and Jack knew she definitely had a past that was haunting her.

"How did it all start?" Jack asked warmly, he was in for a big story now.

Next time:

Everything about Rose's past is all about to come out, how did she get to where she is now?

Martha's coming up party preparations begin.

Still to come:

Will Martha ever see Rose or Jack again?


	21. To hell and back

_Chapter number 21. To hell and back._

"It all started in January when I was fifteen." Rose started. "Everyone at home were all about to go to bed when the smoke detector started making that beeping sound that it makes when it runs out of batteries, and so dad went to take a look at it and mum went to find some spare batteries, but there weren't any, there was nothing we could do so without thinking we just all went off to bed. I still remember my little sister making this comment, something like 'Oh well it's not like the house is going to burn down tonight', but it did" Rose sighed, remembering everything clearly like it happened yesterday. "At about midnight I woke up to the smell of thick smoke all through the house, there was flames everywhere. I thought that everyone else would of already got out so I made a run for it too, out to this place about halfway down towards the creek on our farm where we had agreed to meet if there was an emergency, I thought they'd be there, but they weren't, they were all back inside, dead" she exclaimed. "I never saw them again" Rose sobbed, bitting her lip to stop herself from falling apart. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, holding them tight against her body, her eyes looked almost blood shot, stairing out the front window as she talked, occasionally looking over at Jack as he watched her and listened in a warm comforting way.

"Not long before the sun came up I went back to the house, there were firemen scattered around the place and some police cars were starting to come to take a look at the place. When they found me they took me down to the police station for questioning, them after a few days they sent me to a place that supposedly helps kids in my situation, but if they knew what really went on in that building, they would probably shut it down."

"What goes on in there?" Jack asked, encouraging her to keep going.

"What the cops think goes on in there or what really happens?"

"Well both I guess" Jack answered.

"The place was supposed to give kids an education, look after them and make sure they would be able to have a good future, but they don't do that at all, so yeah they put us through school, but as soon as you pass your HSC they set up a fake report about a job or university course and sent it to the police so they think we're all ok. But really were not, the people who run the place also run one of the biggest, most expensive restaurants in the city, they sent us all there as slaves, and they treat us like dirt, basically if you want to come out of there alive, you have to keep your head down, mouth shut, do what your told and trust nobody".

"Oh my gosh, that's in sane, they can get away with that Rose, no in this day and age" Jack exclaimed.

"Well they do".

"Well not for much longer they won't be, come on I'll take you down to the station now" Jack told her reaching to turn the key of the car in the ignition.

"Jack, please don't".

"Why not? Do you really want them to get away with ruining so many kids lives, do you?"

"No, I'm just not ready to face it all again Jack, I need more time".

"Ok, but promise me-" Jack started but Rose interrupted.

"Ok, I promise I will dob them in eventually".

There was another moment of silence in the car, but it was soon broken by Jack's voice. "So how did you get to Sasha's?".

"She was a step cousin of my boss, so when she started up her dinning hall, I got given to her" Rose explained, "I was so releaved when that happened, she's so much nicer".

"Well at least it's all over now, now you can have your life the way you want it" Jack commented.

"Yeah I guess so. I've just been to hell and back to get here though. But I probably deserved it".

"No you didn't" Jack told her.

"Yes I did, if it wasn't for me, my family would probably still be alive".

"Rubbish, It's not your fault" Jack comforted her, placing a supportive arm around her and ran his hand up and down the side of her arm, slowly and gently pulling her towards him until her head was rested on his shoulder, as her legs slipped back from up against her to the floor. "And don't you even try and tell me it is. I know it probably feels like your fault, but that's just cause you want someone to blame for their death".

"How would you know what it's like to kill someone!" she snapped, pulling her head off his shoulder, before crying even more than before.

"Shh, shh" Jack said, trying to calm her down. "I know, because I did once, not long after I joined the police force".

Rose suddenly stopped crying for a second and her mouth dropped. "Don't worry I'm not a murderer, I was in a situation where if I didn't shoot her she would of shot me" Jack said quickly, he had forgotten about how that would of sounded without telling her the full story.

"Oh, ok" she said in relief. "You scarred me for a minute. Why did she have a gun in the first place?"

"I don't know, she was drunk and being stupid late at night, and me and my work partner just happened to be on patrol that night. She shot my partner Lilly first, then she turned the gun on me".

"And you had no choice but to shoot?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. I still sometimes have nightmares about it".

"Really, I don't know how you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how you pull yourself together and move on, I know I certainly can't".

"It's tough" Jack started, "probably harder for you cause you were close to them, but you first have to realize that it wasn't you fault".

"I don't know if I can do that" Rose said softly, "I can't forgive myself".

"You can if you want to, it's the hardest part, but it is possible". Rose just nodded. "We better get a move on, it's four o'clock already" Jack added, turning the key in the ignition of the car and started driving.

Back at the Macklin's mansion Martha was trying on her dress that had just come in for her coming up party in two weeks time. "It fits fine" she said to the maid who was helping her tie up the back of the satin dress.

"Yeap, it looks great too. Oh and I almost forgot, your father wants you to come down stairs and help him to make a list of all the guests".

"Ok, tell him I'll be down there in a minute".

"Ok, I will" the maid replied, doing as she was told and headed down stairs.

Next time:

Martha's coming up party has arrived, and Martha is shocked at who she sees her father has invited, who is it?

Jack helps Rose over come her past.


	22. Just friends? Or more?

_Chapter number 22. Just friends? Or more?_

"We better get home" Jack said as he stopped the car at a dead end, "It's getting dark".

"Ok" Rose agreed, a little disappointed, she just wished that they could find Martha now, after what happened earlier, she didn't really want to go home with Jack.

"Now where are we?" Jack said looking around at all the bush, they were definitely out of the city now.

"I don't know, but we should probably head that way" Rose said pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah well I'm not an idiot, of course we go that way. I'm sure were really going to find our way home through the bush" Jack teased sarcastically. "Anyway" he started again, turning on the light of the inside of the car, "Could you pass me the map in the door, it's a few years old, but I'm sure well be able to find our way from that".

"Yeah sure" Rose said reaching into the pocket on the inside of the door and passing the map to Jack. There hands brushed against each other and they both imediently looked at each other wondering what the other was thinking, there was some kind of connection that had passed between them, it was warm and comforting, yet seemed to make them both tingle inside. Jack moved closer to her, their faces grew closer and it happened again, that same moment, a moment where what they wanted took over, and there brains thoughts were blocked out.

Jack planed a soft kiss on Rose's lips, she so badly wanted to return it, but her brain kicked in right that second. She pulled away, leaving Jack in disappointment. "We can't" she said softly, shaking her head. "We can't" she repeated more quietly than before.

"Why not?" he whispered, there faces were still only about twenty centimeters apart. Rose was about to say something, but she stopped, no words could answer that. About a minute passed until she answered. "But don't you love Martha?"

Jack paused, that question was now haunting him once again and he could only answer it one way, "I don't know..." he answered. They both were still looking deeply into each others eyes, there was only one person stopping them from giving into their desires, Martha.

"Look, we should really go" Jack broke the silence, taking his eyes away from her. The car was filled with an uncomfortable amount of silence the whole way home and the only words that were said were rose giving Jack the directions off the map.

As the next week passed, things were still tense between Jack and Rose. Rose moved out, she went to stay with Roo after they were told about the mix up at the hospital, she was happy living with her, they had so many things in common that it was scary.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on between you and Jack?" Roo asked, looking at Rose from across the table in the dinner.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, I'm not blind, I've seen the was you two have been acting around each other".

Rose sighed, "Why do mothers always have to notice everything" she mumbled.

"Because it just comes with the job" Roo joked. "Now come on, spill".

"Look it's really, really complicated".

"I can handle complicated".

"Ok, but you better keep this to yourself, ok?"

"Alright, I won't tell a soul" she promised.

Jack was sitting at home, he'd just come from the dinner where he'd bumped into Rose and Roo on his way out, he was so confused. 'Why do I feel so weird around her?' he thought, why couldn't life just be simple. Over the last week he'd made up his mind that he did in fact love Rose, but if he loved Martha, well that was something he still couldn't decide, one moment, he'd think that he didn't love Martha, and the next he wasn't sure. It was just all to complicated.

"Jack" Tony called out coming down the hall way.

"Yeah" he answered.

"Oh there you are" he said when he saw him, "Look Jack there's a coming up party in Sydney that we've just been invited to, next Sunday".

"Ok, cool, who's is it?"

"Well" Tony started, "that's actually more what I wanted to talk to you about" he said, sounding edgy.

"Dad is everything alright?"

"Um, I'll let you decide that. Look you remember how a few years ago, um, when, um... Martha went missing".

Jack just rolled his eyes, he knew where this was going, but it couldn't be Martha's party, could it? "Yeah, how could i forget. Anyway, what's this got to do with the coming up party?"

"Well" Tony sighed, "I think you should make your self comfortable, it's a long story".

"Is it Martha's party?"

"Yeah" Tony told him, Jack just looked at him confused.

"But... How?"

"Well, her father Brett, you know the rich business guy we met in the city about a year ago".

"Yeah"

"Well lets just say, Martha's living with him and-"

"Oh, I see" Jack said sounding disappointed, so she wasn't a slave anymore, Martha obviously didn't love him, if she did then she could of easily come and seen him ages ago she had promised him he could still see it in his head, it was a flash back from when he saw her at Sash's in the store room.

FLASH BACK

"Please don't tell anyone I was here".

"Why not Martha, they can help you".

"No they can't, like I said before I belong to Sasha now. Just please don't tell them, I don't want them to worry about something they can't fix, ok".

"Ok, if that's what you really want".

"Thank you".

"but only if you promise me one thing".

"What's that?"

"If you ever leave here, don't run anymore, come home".

"Jack, I can't leave, not even if I want to".

"Yeah I know, you told me. But if for some reason you do leave..."

"Ok, I'll come home then, but don't count on that happening" Martha agreed.

END OF FLASH BACK

Come home, she'd come home alright, just not the home he ment. Jack sighed he didn't know how she'd gotten out of slavery, but how ever she did didn't matter now, she'd moved on, so he was going to too. Jack seemed to cheer up pretty quickly, he'd made up his mind, he loved Rose.

"Jack, are you ok?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well I don't know, you just sounded disappointed before".

"Well I'm not anymore, lets just say a burden has been lifted" he said, cheerfully getting up.

"Where are you going?"

"Out, I've got a lot to do today so I should head off".

"Alright then, I won't keep you any longer" Tony said picking up the news paper of the coffee table and began to open to the sports section.

"So that's my complicated life at the moment" Rose finished after telling Roo everything about the way things had been around Jack lately.

"So what are you going to do about it then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you can't just leave things the way they are, you'll drive yourself crazy" Roo told her.

"Yeah, but what am I supposed to do? I don't want to make a fool of myself, it would just make things even more weird between us".

"Rose would you rather leave it the way it is or at least try to fix things? You haven't got anything to lose".

"I guess so, it couldn't really get much worse than it already is".

"So when are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know".

"Well how about now?"

"No, later".

"Well to bad cause he's heading this way" Roo told her looking over Rose's shoulder towards the door of the dinner.

Rose looked around for a second and saw Jack coming, "Oh no" she mumbled.

"Ok, nows your chance" Roo encouraged her.

"Hey" Jack greeted.

"Hey" Rose answered, putting on a happy bubbly face.

"Look I better get going" Roo said grabbing her bag, Rose just gave her a death stair. "I've got a few things to do, so you two stay here".

Rose was definitely not happy at this, but didn't show Jack that, "You sue you don't want me to come help?" she asked, trying to get out of there a quickly as possible.

"No sweety, you stay here".

"Well I'm just going to get a coffee, I'll be back in a second, do you want one too Rose?" Jack asked.

"Um... No thanks"

"Ok then" Jack replied walking of to the counter.

"Why did you have to leave me here with him?" Rose asked under her breath.

Roo just patted her on the shoulder, pretending not to hear that, "Bye sweety" she said in a cheerful voice, "oh, and don't forget to tell him how you feel" she whispered.

"How could I possibly forget" Rose answered back sarcastically, as Roo walked out of the dinner.

"So" Jack started as he sat back down on the opposite side of the table to Rose, "how have you been".

"Alright I guess. Look Jack there's something I have to tell you".

"Ok shot" he answered, hoping that she was about to tell him that she loved him and that them kissing hadn't been a mistake, she was, but something stopped her.

"Um, I, u-"

"You what?"

'Come on Rose think of something' she told herself. "Um, you know how the other day I told you about that place where I got sent after my family died?"

"Yeah".

"Well I think I'm ready to dob them in now" Rose told him, she wasn't lying though, she was ready.

"Ok, well do you want me to take you down to the station now then?"

"Yeah, that would be nice".

x0x

"You look beautiful sweety" Brett commented as he approached his daughter, it was the night of her coming up party.

"Thanks dad" she replied, she was so happy that she had butterflies in her stomach, not nervous ones though, just ones filled with excitement, something was telling her that tonight was going to be excellent.

"So how about I introduce you to some of our guests" Brett asked leading Martha into the large ball room, crowded with lots of people.

Martha's mouth dropped when she saw the room "are you going to introduce me to all of them or just some of them?"

Brett laughed slightly, "No just some of them, we don't want to spend the whole night shaking hands, now do we?"

"No".

"Ok lets start over here, I want you to meet some of the people from the Townsville family".

"Ok" Martha agreed, following her father through the crowds. "How did you manage to get this many people to come?"

"I've got my connections, well to many to be correct, but they come in handy sometimes".

Over the other side of the room, through the crowds was none other than Jack along with the rest of the Holdens and the Hunters. "Do you think she'll remember me?" Beth asked nervously, she had only found out about the mix up a week ago and was egar to meet Martha as her daughter. Brett had arranged for Martha to meet up with her later that night, Martha didn't know this yet though, but until the time was right Brett had to keep Martha occupied with talking to everyone but Beth.

"Of course she will" Tony said supportively, now there's no need to be nervous".

"Yeah I know, but it's just... I don't know, I've never really thought of Martha as my daughter before, and now it feels like I'm about to meet her for the first time" Beth explained, trying to be calm. "What if she freaks out?"

"Beth" Tony started.

"Alright, alright, I'll stay positive" Beth agreed after seeing the look on Tony's face.

"Good, now how about we go and get a drink" Tony suggested.

"Ok".

"You ok Jack?" Lucas asked, sitting next to his brother on one of the seats along the wall of the fancy ball room.

"What?" Jack said dreamily, breaking out of his daydreaming.

Lucas sighed "Ok what's wrong?"

"Luc, I'm fine".

"No your not, this is about Martha isn't it?"

"No it's not Luc, just mind your own business, I told you already, I'm fine" Jack said raising his voice slightly.

"Right, sure it's not" Lucas said sarcastically. "Come on admit it" he pushed.

"Look it's complicated, now could we just leave it at that?"

"Ok" Lucas sighed.

"Dad I'm just going to get a drink" Martha said to her dad before he could introduce her to anyone else.

"Ok, I'll just be over talking to Harry over there ok" he told her pointing to where Harry was.

"Ok, I'll be over there soon" she said walking over to the drink table and taking one of the glasses that was placed there. Then looked up to see someone familiar, "Jack?" she said looking shocked.

"Martha" he answered, he couldn't tell if the look on her face was looking at him in horror or in shock, but he would find out soon enough.

Next time:

Two girls, one guy, who loves who?

Is this the start of another love triangle?

Martha meets Beth as her Mother, how with it all go?


	23. The impossible love triangle

_Chapter number 23. The impossible love triangle._

"Oh my goodness" Martha exclaimed, putting down her glass. Her face turned from shock to happiness and everything just clicked in her head 'how could I forget about him?' she asked thought, 'I've been free, and I didn't even think to go home to him' she told herself furiously, but she snapped out of her frustration quickly, returning to happiness that stood in front of her, the one she loved.

"Martha" her father's voice interrupted.

"Yeah" Martha replied turning around.

"You know how the other week you were saying that you were ready to meet your real mum?"

"Yeah".

"Well, I sent out an extra invitation and-".

"Really she's here?" she exclaimed, feeling butterflies in her stomach, now she knew why she had the feeling that tonight was going to be a good night, first Jack, now her real mum,... 'wait, so that's what Jack was doing here, dad probably wrote "you and your family have been invited" on the invitation' she thought, but she wasn't complaining at all.

"Yes, and she wants to see you too" Brett told her moving out of the way so Martha could see Beth standing about five meter's away with Tony, Lucas and Matilda behind her.

"Hey" Martha greeted her running to give her a hug.

"Hey" Beth said excitedly, giving Martha a hug too.

For the next little while Martha, Beth, Jack, Tony, Brett, Lucas and Maddie were all talking about anything and everything, like what other people where wearing and even had a bit of a laugh about the girl on the dance floor who had tried to stick her tongue down just about every guys through she could.

In some ways Martha wished that they would all just leave her and Jack alone for at least a few minutes, she could feel his presence next to her, all she wanted was to feel his hands on her again, the way she used to, and feel his mouth moving under hers.

Jack could feel Martha's presence too, it was warm and comforting. Half of him wanted to be angry with her for not coming back, but the other half just wanted to gab her in his arms and plant kissed allover her. The impossible love triangle that had been going on in his head for weeks was over, the way he felt for Rose wasn't love, he'd been out of love for so long he'd forgotten what it was and he'd mistaken friendship with it.

He knew Rose didn't love him ether, they were just good friends now, nothing more, nothing less. It had taken Jack longer to stop feeling for Rose then the other way around though, he'd been jealous for a while, seeing her with her boyfriend that she had to leave after her family all died, and they had been united earlier that week.

"So is Maddie and Lucas back together?" Martha asked looking over onto the dance floor, some how they'd managed to sneak off quietly.

"Were not sure actually" Tony told her, "Well they probably are, we walked in on them the other night and lets just say that if we had walked in there a few minutes later we would have been scared for life. Anyway I'm just going to go and get another drink, would anyone else like one?"

"No thanks mate, I'm just going to go and talk to senator Bishop over there ok" Brett said.

"Ok, anyone else?" Tony asked.

"No thanks" Martha and Jack said at the same time.

"I'd love one, how about I come with you?" Beth replied.

"Ok" Tony answered, then they walked off leaving Jack and Martha alone.

"You want to dance?" Martha asked, the sound of _Maria Carrie, We belong together_ was playing in the background, it had been one of the songs she'd chosen that hadn't gotten a lecture about how this was a coming up party not a hormone driven disco.

As angry as Jack still was at her, he couldn't say no to that face, "yeah sure, why not" he answered leading he onto the dance floor.

Next time:

Martha and Jack? To be or not to be?

Next time's the last chapter.


	24. We belong together

_Chapter number 24. We belong together._

Jack kept leading Martha along until the came to the middle of the dance floor, underneath the large crystal chandelier that was hanging from the roof. Martha step forward wrapping her hands around Jack and he did the same, for a moment there was peace, they felt like one for that second that passed, Jack had his arms wrapped around Martha holding her so close that she could hear the steady beat of his heart. Martha lifted her head up from where it was rested on Jacks chest looking into his warm eyes, and the trade mark smile that she fell in love with all those years ago, making her feel weak at the knee, but she didn't fall, Jacks arms warped around her tightly made sure of that. Their faces grew closer until they were only centimeters apart, "I missed you" she whispered softly, just loud enough for him to hear above the music.

For a second all he wanted to do was say that he missed her too, he could feel her arms wrapped around his neck, her eye's looking at his and her smiling at him, he'd missed that over the years, but the thought of her broken promise came back and hit him in the face, bringing him back to reality, out of the fantasy that was playing over in his head. "No you didn't!" Jack snapped stepping away from her, "If you did then you would of kept your promise and come home. Well obviously your homes not where I thought it was" he added before walking away.

'Martha what are you doing, you can't let him walk away again and leave you' her conscious told her, "Jack wait" she called out. Jack turned around for a second, hoping deep down that she was going to say something logical to fix everything, that's why he had stopped to listen, Martha always had a reasonable explanation, it was one of the things he used to love about her. "I can explain" she continued, "You see, um, I-" she paused.

Jack waited a moment longer, still praying in his heart that she would say something, but the longer he waited the more he doubted. "You don't love me" Jack finished her off.

"No, I-".

"Martha if you loved me then you wouldn't be making excuses. You dad's got all the money in the world, your not a slave, there was nothing stopping you from coming back" he said furiously, it broke his heart to talk to her like that, but he couldn't help it, she'd changed, she didn't love him.

"Jack" Martha exclaimed, her heart had been broken, torn in two and shattered to the point where it was impossible to break into smaller pieces. "I love you, you know that".

"No I don't" he replied shaking his head "I don't know, Martha you've changed so much, I don't even know you anymore" he told her, breaking her heart into the smaller pieces she thought weren't possible. He could see how heart broken she was, he couldn't stand it any longer, so he left, making his way through the crowd, leaving her to break down in tears with no one to wipe them dry, while people danced around her on the dance floor as the music kept playing.

_I'm feeling all out of my element_

_Throwing things, crying trying_

_To figure out were the hell I went wrong_

_The pain reflected in this song_

_Ain't even half what I'm feeling inside_

_I need you, need you back in my life baby_

_When you left I lost a part of me_

_It's still hard to believe_

_Come back baby please cause_

_We belong together_

_Who else am I gonna lean on when times get rough_

_Who's gonna talk to me on the phone_

_Till the sun comes up_

_Who's gonna take your place_

_When there ain't nobody better_

_Oh baby baby_

_We belong together_

_When you left I lost a part of me_

_It's still hard to believe_

_Come back baby please cause _

_We belong together_

_Who am I gonna lean on when times get rough_

_Who's gonna talk to me till the sun comes up_

_Who's gonna take you place_

_There ain't nobody better_

_Oh baby baby_

_We belong together..._

Ok now before you all scream and tell me you hate me, I might be writing a sequel, if enough people want it that is. So if you want to see that then please review.


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